The UK's first Port Barrel Aged Gin.
Batch 13 Port Barrel Gin has landed.
We’re excited to announce that Batch 13 of our Port Barrel Aged Gin has just been released from the barrel!
This latest limited edition release is a beautiful rose-pink with notes of oaky vanilla and warming jammy sweetness.
With each batch originating from a different port barrel, we aren’t aiming for consistency. Each release is defined by the unique oak of the barrel and the ruby port vintage it once housed.
Take a read as we reveal our process and the best way to enjoy it…
The UK’s First Port Barrel Aged Gin.
Launched in 2018 as the UK’s first Port barrel aged gin, this annual limited edition has become a cult favourite. With each new batch, we explore the evolving flavours imparted by barrels sourced from Porto’s finest port houses.
This latest barrel-rested expression of our Dorset Dry Gin might be one of the best yet.
How we make it.
The process is simple – we bring our Dorset Dry Gin to the ruby port barrel and let time do the hard work.
The barrels arrive empty (unfortunately!), but the oak staves are stained beetroot-red, saturated with ruby port deep in the grain of the European oak. Aged for 5–20 years, the port locked within the barrel walls has absorbed flavour compounds from the oak: vanilla (vanillin), coconut and creaminess (lactones), and spice and structure (tannins).
We fill them with our Dorset Dry Gin, which slowly pulls this matured port from the wood over 8 weeks. The result is a beautifully blushed gin layered with bourbon-like notes of vanilla, oak, and jammy red fruit.
Its still a proper gin.
It was important to us that our Port Barrel Gin remained unmistakably a dry gin – not veering into young whisky territory. Resting too long in oak would age the spirit beyond recognition, muting the fresh, herbaceous character of our Dorset Dry Gin.
That’s why we barrel finish for just 2 months – long enough to extract the richly oaked port wine from the oak barrel staves, but not so long as to overpower it.
The result? A gin true to its roots, now enhanced by the subtle woody wonders of ruby port.
What’s the Difference: Ageing vs. Finishing?
Barrel ageing refers to maturing a spirit in oak for several years – as in whisky, where the wood itself gradually imparts flavour over the course of 3-12 years. Barrel finishing, or secondary maturation, is a shorter 12 month process, using barrels that previously held another spirit such as bourbon, sherry, or cognac.
Our Port barrel aged gin follows this finishing approach – resting just long enough to absorb the rich, jammy notes left by the port in the oak, without extracting too much wood influence and losing the gin’s botanical brightness.
Flavour profile.
In Batch 13, expect the piney juniper and citrus of our Dorset Dry Gin, beautifully layered with mellow oak, soft vanilla, and the rich fruit of ruby port. A spirit full of warmth and complexity – a fresh, herbaceous gin at its core, with the depth and softness of something aged.
Port Barrel G&T.
We’ve kept things close to our Dorset Dry roots. The result? A Port Barrel Aged Gin that’s delicious served simply with classic tonic water and an orange peel garnish. Once lengthened, the juniper pops with soft woody spice and bourbon-like honeyed sweetness.
Port Barrel Gin Old Fashioned.
Our favourite serve. Originally made with bourbon, the Old Fashioned lets this gin shine without distraction. Stirred over ice with sugar and bitters, the cocktail reveals the barrel’s quiet complexity.
You’ll need:
50ml Conker Port Barrel Aged Gin
15ml Sugar Syrup
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
Add all ingredients to a tumbler filled with ice. Stir for a full minute until well chilled and diluted to taste. Garnish with an orange wedge.
We’ve released just 500 bottles of Batch 13 of our Port Barrel Aged Gin.
It will be sipped and savoured until it's gone .
Not to return until we explore our next selection of port barrels.
Always different. Always the same delicious marriage of Dorset and Porto.
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